Warm
by budgiebird12
Summary: A factory worker in New York finds an alternative way to keeping warm this winter. A companion fic to Stephanie. Brought about by a comment from S.Grim, thanks a lot!


This story was actually brought on by a comment from S.Grim on a different story of mine. So... Danke!

-o-o-o-

Stephanie awoke to the bitter cold of a December morning, she screwed her eyes shut and huddled under her blanket, wishing she could go back to sleep.

But she had to get up, her boss didn't take to Tardy's, as he called the people who arrived at work late. Stephanie opened her eyes and looked around; the other girls were awakening and getting up. You'd think with a dozen girls crammed in such a small room it'd be a bit warmer, but the wind whistling from the low-quality windows stole their body heat as soon as they made it.

She forced herself to sit up, wrapping her blanket tightly around her as she jumped to the cold concrete floor.

She turned around and saw the girl in the bunk under her, she always slept late. Stephanie knelt and blew gently on the girls ear. "Joanna... c'mon hon." She murmured. The other girl snuffled. "Joanna, you don't want to have your pay docked again do you?"

That got her attention, she opened her hazel eyes and yawned hugely "A'right, I'se up!"

Stephanie took her hand and drew her to her feet.

They both hurriedly got dressed, pulling on every scrap of clothing they had, hoping beyond hopes that it wouldn't rain that day, snow was horrible, but cold rain soaked your clothes and kept you shivering for hours.

When Joanna pulled on her new boots, Stephanie gazed longingly at them, then quickly looked away. She sat on the matress and pulled on her own shoes, they were riddled with holes and would do almost nothing to keep out snow.

She was one of the first girls to climb the stairs to the main room, she drew back the curtain from the frosted window and sighed, it was snowing. It was going to be a very cold walk to the factory.

She waited -not _quite_ patiently- for the other girls to come upstairs, when she was convinced everyone was there she called out brightly "Alright ladies, let's get going!" They set off through the swirling white.

Stephanie hurried them along, yelling, joking, and trying to keep their spirits up, while her own sunk at the prospect of twelve hours in the cold warehouse.

When they were about halfway there, Stephanie told Joanna to keep an eye on the girls ("especially Kinsey, she's lagging behind."). She separated from the others and turned down a different street, hurrying toward the Sheepshead racetrack.

As she came closer to the track, her mood lightened. Until she found herself almost giddy. Not even being nearly run over by some jerk with a carriage brought her elation down.

She came to the main Sheepshead gate and saw him.

He was the greatest thing she'd ever seen, shortish, with brown hair, a charming smile, and an ever-present cigar hanging out the corner of his mouth. He was there everyday, selling newspapers, and sometimes betting on the races.

She heard him calling out the headline; "Mass murder at Hendricks estate!" She knew that headline couldn't really be found in the paper, but she didn't care, she didn't buy it for the stories anyway.

She walked up behind him "Mass murder, huh?" She pretended to look interested. He spun around, then grinned when he saw her "Hey, didn't know if you'se was comin' t'day, Steph, yer nevva late."

She smiled sheepishly "The girls were a little slow today."

"Da goils? You'se barely movin' at a snails pace ya'self!" He poked her.

She rolled her eyes and held out a penny, "So what, can I have a paper or not?"

He handed her one but she didn't even glance at it before putting it under her arm. She wanted a reason to hang around, so she asked "How've you been, Race?"

"Betta since you came along." He winked at her.

She blushed terribly, "Well, I'd better- I'd better get to work." She nearly fled.

"See ya tommarer!" he yelled after her.

She walked the familiar streets toward the hated factory, thinking about the way he always managed to get her so flustered, when she suddenly realized she wasn't cold anymore.

-o-o-o-

This a kind of companion fic to _Stephanie_, it's not as good as I hoped it would be, but, it never is.

Please review! I'd like to know what you think!


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